The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-09-24

her down to the little hotel and chafed her
chilled form for long time. Her first
words were: slack Lane-'Mandy! Git
doctor an go to them. Let me be- Go to
them an to Laty. He's all alone. Poor
little fellerl Poor Jack! Poor 'Mandylv
A dozen men were soon fighting their
way through the drifts to the Lane cabin,
five miles distant. 1t was midnight before
Lib could tell her sorrowful story, and then
| 1T was told with sobs and tears.
SIT was only little after dark" she said.
eve was all settin' in the front room.
Laty was in my lap an, some way or other,
| let the little Teller fall. OF course Jack
an Mandy was mad. l don't blame 'em;
| an 1 didn't mind it much when Jack
whipped me with the ramrod of his gun
I'd ought to AVE been keerful. Mandy
was so mad she driv me out into the she'd
room. You know how that is, mister,n
| Lib said, turning to me.
sit runs back right up agin the mountain,
an there's a cave off the end Of it where
jack keeps his taters an turnips in winter.
1t was real snug in the cave, an old lobe,
Jacks dog, was in there. l snuggled up to
him, an cried cause I'd hurt Laty.
'Purty soon the front room door opened
little an Laty came toddlin' into the she'd
room. could see Jack an Mandy playin'
checkers by the fire, an they didn't notice
| Laty. / slipped out an ketched the little
| teller up in my arms. 'Ye poor little fell
ler,' 1 says, Lib didn't go to hurt you; Lib
love you better n anything else on earth ?
Then he coo-cooed in his cunnin' little
way, an laid his wet little cheeks on mine
in a way that like to ave broke my heart
was standin' in the cave door, holdin' him
| so, when there come an awful roar. / saw
Jack am Mandy jump up, scared like an,
stepped back into the cave with LAZY, am
then''- n
| Here Lib quite broke down, and cried for
long time before she said
"Well, the next minute every thing was
pitch dark Jack nor Mandy nor the cabin
nor nothin' was to be seen. There was the
awfullest roarn' an crashin' ever heered.
Me an Laty an lobe all cuddled up in a
corner of the cave, scared out of our seven
| senses.
After awhile l crawled to the cave door.
The snow an wind was blowin' in. The
cabin was gone; there wasn't sign of it,
Then 1 knowed there'd been snow-slide.
| Il yelled an yelled for Mandy an Jack,
but there WANT no answer at first. By and
by heerd some one cryin'. jacks lantern
was in the cave. He'd jest been in there,
| CONcIlu up bllC JhtllSo WIN Olu Tags an
straw, an we always kept matches on
shelf in there. got the lantern an lighted
it; then covered Laty all up good with the
rags an straw, an made lobe lay down by
| him.
''Then 1 started out, and found Mandy
wedged in 'mong some rocks bout hundred
yards down the mountain. She was cryln
an goin' on awful, poor woman! The way
she TUX on bout Laty swas awful. She
couldn't stand, an l couldn't get her up to
! the cave.
Mandy said l, at last, T'm goin' down
to Crystal Camp for help
You can't says she, awful feeble like
"'I kin,' says l, AN Pm goin', to. An
now, Mandy" says /, you jest brace up till
l git back; you jest think o. Laty. YOU'RE
| his ma an he needs you; think o. that An
Mandy said l, if don't git back an you
| git out o. here all right, you remember that
Lib Dill amt no hard feelins' again you
nor Jack: an if do git back, an you don't
| git out O. here, you remember to your last
breath that Lib Dill will be mother to
your baby
Then l brought straw an rags an COW
cred her up the best could. She lay still.
cryin' an goin' on fit to break ones heart
/ bent over her an said, Goodbye, Mandy;
I'm goin'.'
''She never said a word but she flung her
one free arm around my neck an kissed me-
an that made it all right tween me an
Mandy Lane. Livin' or dead, amt nothin'
agin her.
II went back to the cave, and made Tobs
lay down by Laty. Don't you move says
to the dog, and he won't. They'll find him
an Laty all covered up under straw an
rags behind a later box in a corner of the
cave where Laty can't get out. amt wor-
ried none bout him, but, o Jack Q Mandy
YES" said Lib, YEARLY, little later, Il
did have an awful pull to git here; but |
linowed evry foot of the way. 1t was lucky
l snatched my old cloak and shawl when
Mandy drove me out, or I'd froze."
Before noon the next day Silas Ray, the
landlord, came down from the mountain
carrying baby Laty tenderly in his strong
arms. The child was asleep with the tears
on his pretty face. Lib reached up her arms
for the baby. Slas laid him gently down by
her side and said 81 reckon you've as good
a right to him as anybydy now. They're
bringin' his father an mother down dead"
My interest in the brave girl and her for
lorn charge led me to take them with me
when l left Crystal Camp, and l finally
turned them over to some wealthy friends
of mine in the East, who were both willing
and able to provide for them.
This was ten years ago. A few days since
] received a letter from LIB Dill, who is now
a school teacher in a new town of one OF our
Western States, in which she says that Laty
has grown up to be bright and good boy,
and that she hopes to make good man of
him yet.
She also alludes to a certain Young farmer,
between whom and herself there appears to
have sprung up mutual interest, which
has led to plans which, if carried out, will
result in her having home of her own.
1--WE are all-Laty and the farmer and p'-
she says, Every happy in planning for the
future that promises so fair."-J. L. Har-
b0asr, IN Youths Companion.
The People of Mexico.
A traveller who. has visited the vari-